Wrecking bar



Patented Nov. 3,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH L. NESS, 0F CLARKFIELD, MINNESOTA.

WRECKING BAR.

Application filed IaylS, 1925. Serial No. 31,053.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH L. Name, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clarkfield, in the county of Yellow Medicine and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' head which includes spaced arms for engaging a board at opposite sides of a sup orting beam and a portionfor connecting t e arms with each other and with the handle, the latter portion being so formed that the head may be not only readily tilted upwardly to lift the board but also tilted transversely after being swung upwardly.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved implement in use;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the improved implement, and

Fig. 3 is a view looking at the implement from the forked end thereof when tilted, the upperportion of the handle being broken away.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the implement which may be termed a wrecking bar is provided with an elongated bar-like body portion 1. The bar is formed of steel or any other strong metal and has one end portion flattened and bent to provide an arm 2. The arm 2 is disposed at the angle shown so that it may be grasped and the body portion or lever 1 easily swung downwardly when board-engaging means at the opposite end of the body is disposed beneath a board to be lifted. The arm 2 may also be used as a board-engaging element in which case the device would be inverted from the position shown in Fig. 1 and the posite end of the lever from the arm 2, there has been provided a board-engaging head. This head is substantially U-shaped and includes side arms 3 which are spaced from each other a sufiicient distance to permit them to straddle a roofing beam of an ordinary thickness. At their upper ends the side arms are connected by a bridge portion 4 which is curved throughout its length and merges into the side arms. The bridge portion of the head is substantially circular in cross section but the arms 3 may be flattened, as shown, and taper towards their free ends so that they may be readily forced beneath a board to be lifted in case the board is nailed upon a fiat surface. At a point intermediate its ends the bridge portion 4 is extended rearwardly, the rearwardly extended portion 5 being tapered, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and gradually merging into the lever or body portion 1. It should be. particularly noted that the under face of the rearwardly extending portion 5 is curved longitudinally and transversely, thereby providing a fulcrum which, to some extent, resembles a fragment of a sphere and that this curved fulcrum forming surface merges ed end portions of the bridge. This is a very important feature as it permits the wrecking bar to be tilted rearwardly and transversely so that a board engaged by the arms may be very easily pried loose from a roofing beam.

When the wreckin bar is in use and it is desired to pry a roo ng board 6 loose from a roofing beam 7, the wrecking bar will be put in place with its bridge portion resting upon the upper face of the roofing beam 7 and its arms 3 extending beneath the board 6 at opposite sides of the beam. The bar may then be grasped intermediate its length and at the bent upper end portion 2 and downward pressure applied so that the bar is swung downwardly and the arms 3 upwardly upon the fulcrum provided by the curved under face of the bridge and rearwardly extending portion 5. As soon as the arms have been swung upwardly a sufficient distance to move the end portions of the bridge out of engagement with the roofing board, a,turning movement may be applied to the lever so that a transverse rocking move ment will be transmitted to the head and the arms 3 alternately swung upwardly and downwardly.- This rocking movement will tend to work the nails loose "which secure the board 6 tothe beam 7. Itwill, there- .fore, be seen that by means ofthis improved Wrecking bar it will be possible to very easily disconnect the boards of a roof or wall from the beams to which they are nailed.

Having thus describedthe invention, I claim: 7.

A wrecking implement comprising a liandlebar, and U-shaped fork at oneend of remove said handle disposed at an incline thereto, said fork having spaced parallel arms and a curved bridge connecting their u per ends, said handle bar havin a widene end portion joined to said brldge intermediate the ends of the bridge and constituting a fulcrum, the under face of said fulcrum being curved longitudinally and transversely and merging into the intermediate and end portions of said bridge, the said end portion of said bridge being circular in cross section. In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RALPH LJNESS, [he] 

